1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a roller assembly for use in applying a coating to a surface, and more particularly, to a paint roller assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known to use paint roller assemblies having a hand grip 16 with a roller support and a rotatable roller cover to apply paint to a wall. Normally, the roller cover is removably mounted on the roller support so that the roller cover can be detached from the support after use and cleaned or replaced as desired. Additionally, the useful life of the roller cover is often quite limited when compared to that of the hand grip 16 and roller support. As such, the roller cover is usually removed from the hand grip 16 after each use.
Typically, roller covers are frictionally secured to the roller support. One disadvantage associated with this type of roller assembly is that in order to remove the roller cover from the roller support, it is usually necessary to grasp the outer surface of the roller cover and slide it off of the roller support. As the roller cover being removed is normally covered with wet paint, the process of removing the roller cover from the roller assembly can be messy and often leads to paint getting on the hands and clothes of the person removing the roller cover. If one waits until the paint on the roller cover dries before removing the cover, the paint between the roller cover and the roller support dries and seals the roller cover to the roller support. Thus, in order to remove the roller cover from the paint roller assembly it is sometimes necessary to break the dried paint away from the end caps of the roller support, thereby allowing the roller cover to be removed from the roller assembly. Alternatively, it may be necessary to slice, or cut the roller cover along a length thereof, allowing the roller cover to be peeled away from the roller assembly.
Based on the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide a paint roller assembly with a roller cover that can be removed quickly and easily without having to grasp or touch the paint-covered roller cover.